Shield for outlet boxes



April 24, 1934. H! E KQRAB SHIELD FOR OUTLET BOXES Filed April 25, 1931 2Sheets-Sht 1 A ril 24, 1934. j H KORAB 1 1,956,196

.SHIELD FOR OUTLET BOXES Filed April 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to outlet boxes of the type used in electrical work when wiring a house or other building and more particularly to a shield or other temporary closure by means of which an opening formed in the outer wall or cap of an outlet box may be closed and screw receiving openings covered. When a house is being built, the electric conduits and outlet boxes are installed before the laths and plaster are applied and the laths are then nailed into place and openings formed through which the outer walls or caps of the outlet boxes project. It is then customary to place wads of paper in the outlet boxes so that when the plaster is applied it will be prevented from entering the outlet boxes, but very often the paper does not project outwardly far enough and. when the plaster is applied, some of the outer boxes will be entirely covered. This makes it very difficult for an electrician to locate the boxes after the plaster has dried and often a wall will be disfigured by an electrician knocking plaster loose in order to locate the hidden outlet boxes. It also often happens that even when the paper projects out of the boxes a sufficient distance to prevent the boxes from being covered by plaster, portions of the outer wall of the cap in which screw receiving openings are formed will be covered by plaster thereby filling the screw receiving openings with plaster which clogs the threads in these openings and prevents screws from being inserted.

Therefore one object of the invention is to provide a shield or temporary closure for an outlet box which will serve very effectively to prevent plaster from entering the boxes and also to prevent screw receiving openings from being filled with plaster, the shield being so constructed that it will project outwardly from an outlet box a suificient distance to prevent it from being covered with plaster even by a very careless worker.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the shield that it may be very easily applied and when fitted into an outlet box will be firmly held in place and prevented from accidentally slipping loose and dropping upon the floor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be formed of cardboard or paper pulp and thereby very cheaply produced.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the shield that while it will be firmly held in place it may be removed without being destroyed and therefore again used.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an outlet box having a shield applied thereto, the view being taken along the line 1--1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation showing the manner in which the shield closes the opening in the outer wall or cap of an outlet box and covers the screw receiving openings formed therein,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4' is a perspective view of the improved shield detached,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing la modified form of shield applied to an outlet Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the shield shown in Figures 5 and 6 detached, and

Figure 8 is a view of the blank from which the shield shown in Figure 7 is formed.

The outlet box indicated by the numeral 1 is of a conventional construction and is secured to a support 2 by the usual screws 3. This outlet box may have any number of conduits 4 for electric wires and is provided with a cap 5 or,outer wall which is secured by screws 6 and has its intermediate portion 7 projecting outwardly and formed with an opening 8 through which the switch mechanism extends into the outlet box when in place.

When plaster 10 is applied to a wall it covers the cap about the outwardly projecting portion 7 thereof as shown clearly in Figure 2 and the outer surface of the plaster is usually flush with the outer face of the forwardly projecting portion of the cap. Therefore the screw receiving openings 9 are. liable to be filled with plaster which is very hard to remove after it has dried and even wads of paper which are stuifed into the outlet boxes are liable to be covered with plaster and the outlet boxes concealed. In order to close the opening 8 formed in the outer wall or cap of an outlet box and cover the openings 9, there has been provided a shield which may be constructed either as shown in Figures 1 through t t or as shown in Figures 5 through 8.

The shield ll shown in Figures 1 through 4 is formed as a unitary structure and is preferably molded of paper pulp although any material found suitable may be used. This shield has an outer wall or head 12 and side walls 13 and end walls 14 which project from margins of the outer wall. Abutting ends of the side and end walls are integrally united for a portion of their .depth and are then formed separate from each other as clearly shown in Figure 4.

The free portions of the end walls are tapered as shown in Figures 2 and 4 and bent to form end flaps 15 which project from the rigid portions of these end walls and are intended to bear against the outer face of the outwardly projecting portions 7 of the cap 5 in covering relation to the screw receiving openings 9. Therefore these openings 9 will be shielded and prevented from becoming filled with plaster. The side walls 13 are of greater depth than the end walls and are formed with notches or recesses 16 leading from their side edges at opposite ends of the flaps 15. The free portions 17 of the side walls form side flaps and are preferably tapered as shown in Figures 1 and e and normally are disposed in diverging relation to each other as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3.

Therefore when the shield is applied to an outlet box the free portions or flaps of the side walls must be pressed towards each other in order to be passed inwardly through the opening 8 formed in the cap of the outlet box and this will cause them to have frictional binding engagement with walls of the opening 8 at opposite sides thereof. After the free portions or flaps of the side walls have been engaged in the opening 8, the shield is pressed inwardly to move it towards the outlet box and portions of the cap at corners of the openings 8 which are rounded, will engage in the notches 16 as clearly shown in Figure 1. Therefore the shield or temporary closure will be very firmly held in place and it will serve to prevent any danger of plaster entering the outlet box while at the same time its flaps 15 will cover the screw receiving openings 9 and prevent these openings from becoming filled with plaster. After the plaster has dried the shield may be easily removed and the switch mechanism set in place in the outlet box. Since the shields project outwardly quite a distance from the outlet boxes when in place, there will be no danger of them being covered by plaster and since the end walls will'bear against the outer face of the cap of the outlet box about the opening 8 there will be no danger of a cap being accidentally forced into an outlet box too far.

In Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 there has been shown as shield or temporary closure 18 which is formed from a cardboard blank.

This blank which is shown in Figure 8 and indicated by the numeral 19 has side portions 20 and end portions 21 which are folded along the dotted lines 22 and 23 to form the side and end walls 24 and 25 projecting from margins of an outer wall or head 26. Notches 27 corresponding to the notches 16 are formed in the side walls. The extensions 21 forming the end walls are folded along the dotted lines 28 to form flaps 29 corresponding to the flaps 15 and the portions 21 have extensions 30 at their sides which are severed from the portions of the extensions 21 forming the flaps 29 and are folded along the dotted lines 31 to form arms 32. These arms 32 fit flat against the inner faces of the side walls 24 and are formed with notches or recesses 33 which register with the notches 27. Therefore when the blank is folded as shown in Figure 7 and thrust into an outlet box as shown in Figures 5 and 6, portions of the cap 5 of the outlet box at corners of the opening 8 may engage in the registering notches 2'7 and 33 and firmly hold the shield in place.

It should also be noted that ends 34 of the arms 32 project from opposite sides of the side members as shown in Figure 7, thereby providing portions which serve as cams to move the end walls 25 inwardly as the shield is thrust into place and then move into position beneath the extension 7 above and below the opening 8 and serve as additional means to prevent the shield from accidentally slipping out of an outlet box. When this form of shield is to be removed, the end walls are first pressed inwardly to retract the ends 34 of the arms and the shield can then be easily removed without being destroyed and again used.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an outlet box, of a removable shield retained in position thereon by frictional engagement with the walls thereof and having its outer end closed and projecting outwardly from the outlet box a distance suficient to project beyond a plastered wall, said shield having portions to extend over and form closures for the fastener receiving openings in the cap of the outlet box.

2. A shield for an outlet box comprising a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and'end walls extending from margins thereof, the end walls having flaps projecting outwardly therefrom and the side walls being extended beyond the end walls to engage through an opening in an outer wall of an outlet box and retain the shield in place with the flaps extending over the outer wall of the box in covering relation to fastener receiving openings formed therein.

3. A shield for an outlet box comprising a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls extending from margins thereof, the end walls having flaps projecting outwardly therefrom and the side walls being extended beyond the end walls to engage through an opening in an outer wall of an outlet box, notches being formed in ends of the side flaps adjacent inner ends of said flaps to receive portions of. outer walls of the outlet box cover and retain the shield in place with the flaps extending over the outer wall of the box in covering relation to fastener receiving openings formed therein.

4. A shield for an outlet box comprising a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls extending from margins thereof, the end walls and side walls being united at their ends for a portion of their depths and then free from each other, the free portions of the end walls being bent outwardly to form flaps adapted to cover fastener receiving openings in an outer wall of an outlet box and the free portions of the side Walls being adapted to engage through an opening in the outer wall of an outlet box and engage the outer wall of the box to retain the shield in place.

5. A shield for an outlet box comprising a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls extending from margins thereof, the end walls and side walls being united at their ends for a portion of their depths and then free from each other, the free portions of the end walls being bent outwardly to form flaps adapted to cover fastener receiving openings in the removable cover of an outlet box and the free portions of the side walls being adapted to engage through an opening in the outer wall of an outlet box and formed at their ends with notches to receive portions of the outer wall of the box to retain the shield in place.

6. A shield for an outlet box formed from a blank bent to form a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls projecting from margins thereof, the end walls being bent to form flaps projecting outwardly therefrom to overlap the outer wall of an outlet box cover at ends of an opening formed therein and cover fastener receiving openings and the side walls being of greater depth than the end walls and adapted to engage through the opening in the outer wall of the outlet box and retain the shell in place.

7. A shield for an outlet box formed from a blank bent to form a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls projecting from margins thereof, the end walls being bent to form flaps projecting outwardly therefrom to overlap the outer wall of an outlet box at ends of an opening formed therein and cover fastener receiving openings and the side walls being of greater depth than the end walls and adapted to engage through the opening in the outer wall of the outlet box, the end walls having extensions at their sides projecting inwardly between the side walls and having portions adapted to engage back of the outer wall of the box and retain the shield in place.

8. A shield for an outlet box formed from a blank bent to form a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls projecting from margins thereof, the end walls being bent to form flaps projecting outwardly therefrom to overlap the outer wall of an outlet box at ends of an opening formed therein ing in the outer wall of the outlet box, the end walls having extensions at their sides projecting inwardly between the side walls and having portions forming tongues projecting from side edges of the side walls and adapted to engage back of the outer wall of the box and retain the shield in place.

9. A shield for an outlet box formed from a blank bent to form a shell open at its inner end and having an outer head and side walls and end walls projecting from margins thereof, the end walls being bent to form flaps projecting outwardly therefrom to overlap the outer wall of an outlet box at ends of an opening formed therein and cover fastener receiving openings and the side walls being of greater depth than the end walls and adapted to engage through the opening in the outer wall of the outlet box, the end walls having extensions at their sides projecting inwardly between the side walls and having portions forming tongues projecting from side edges of the side walls and adapted to engage back of the outer wall of the box, registering notches being formed in the side walls and side arms to receive portions of the outer wall at corners of the opening formed therein and retain the shield in place.

closed and extended outwardly therefrom a distance suflicient to project beyond a plaster wall and its inner end provided with side flaps extended within the outlet box and frietionally engaging the adjacent walls thereof for detachably securing said shield in position thereon, said shield being movable outwardly as an entirety through the open face of the box to released position.

HARRY E. KORAB. [L.S.] 

